NFL Mock Draft: 49ers Pick Tight End Luke Lachey in Round 5

Why wouldn't the 49ers take another fifth-round flier on an Iowa tight end?

Aug 31, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes tight end Luke Lachey (85) looks for yards after catch against the Illinois State Redbirds during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The 49ers need to start planning for life after George Kittle.

He's coming off one of the best seasons of his career, but he'll turn 32 in October. And he played most of last season with broken ribs. So even if they give him an extension this offseason -- he wants one -- there's no telling just how long his career will last.

That's why NFL.com's Chad Reuter projects the 49ers to take Iowa tight end Luke Lachey with their first fifth-round draft pick.

"Combination tight end capable of lining up in-line or as a move tight end," writes NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein. "While Lachey can do both, he lacks the core strength and consistency of a typical 'Y' tight end and has average quickness to escape man coverage on the next level.

"He has experience operating underneath and as an intermediate target, using proper leverage in his routes and good body control, along with strong hands, when contested. He has NFL size but needs to prove he can more consistently sustain as a run blocker in order to become a trustworthy, three-down player in the league. Unless that happens, he’s likely to be fighting for a role as a TE3 or TE4."

Quite an underwhelming review.

To be fair, Zierlein gave Kittle an even worse draft grade eight years ago when Kittle entered the draft.

Both Kittle and Lachey played at Iowa and were seldom used in the passing game. In four years, Kittle caught just 48 passes, while Lachey caught 74 passes in five seasons.

Why wouldn't the 49ers take another fifth-round flier on an Iowa tight end? The last one worked out pretty well.